Crown cap lifter with reciprocating elements



March 11, 1952 w. A. CARTER 2,589,051

CROWN CAP LIFTER WITH RECIPROCATING ELEMENTS Filed Nov. 18, 1948 A IN' QKWII IHKW WILL/AM A. CARTER,

INVENTOR.

Patented Mar. 11, 1952 CROWN CAP LIFTER WITH RECIPROCATING ELEMENTS William A. Carter, Altadena, Calif.

Application November 18, 1948, Serial No. 60,685

2 Claims.

My invention relates to bottle openers, and particularly to an improved opener of a type adapted to remove crown caps from bottles.

The principal object of my invention is to provide an opener which is suitable for removing a crown cap from a bottle without injury to the cap so that the cap may be re-used if desired for rescaling the bottle from which it was removed.

Another object of my invention is to provide a bottle opener which is positive acting and capable of holding a cap after removal.

A further objectof my invention is to provide a bottle opener which includes two relatively movable clamping members with means such as a spring to normally urge them apart so that they may be lowered over a bottle cap and with means which are suitable for then urging them together against the force of the first mentioned means so that they removably grip the cap.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a bottle opener which includes two'relatively movable clamping members with a pistol-grip handle and a trigger-like element for urging said members into removable engagement with a bottle cap.

The" foregoing and other objects and features of my invention will become apparent from a reading of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing which illustrates a single embodiment thereof andin which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved bottle opener, and

Figure 2 is a side elevational view partly in section showing the bottle opener in cap-gripping position.

In the drawing there is illustrated a bottle opener embodying the features of my invention and comprising a pair of relatively movable clamping members which may be drawn together by means of a pistol-like arrangement including a pistol-grip handle and a trigger-like element. A spring normally urges the clamping members apart so that a holding element and a lifting element carried by the respective clamping members may be placed on opposite sides of a crown cap and then drawn together into cap-removing position by manual manipulation of the triggerlike e'lement.

More particularly, the bottle opener comprises a handle ll! shaped in the form of a pistol-grip so as to permit it to be held firmly by a hand.

For this purpose the pistol-grip handle is curved The outer surface of the handle, which may be of either rectangular or circular cross section, is preferably made smooth so as to facilitate handling. For convenience the handle it! maybe made of wood.

One of the clamping members includes a first, or lower bar l2, which is attached at its rear end to the upper end of the handle I9 by means of a fiat-headed wood screw 14. The bar 12 is fitted within a recess 15 so as to prevent it from turning on the handle. The upper end of the wood screw [4 is fiush with the upper surface of the bar l2.- An inclined lifting element It extends downwardly from the forward end of the first bar l2 and terminates at its forward lower end in a narrow lifting toe l8. lhe bar i 2 is provided with a longitudinally extending narrow slot 20 in the. midportion thereof in front of the handle ill. The lifting element It and the toe [8 are preferably formed unitary with the remaining portion of the bar [2 so as to simplify and minimize the cost of manufacture.

The second clamping member comprises a second, or upper bar 22, which is slidably arranged upon the upper surface of the first bar 12. The sliding relationship between the two bars l2 and 22 is established by means of two narrow longitudinal slots 24 arranged one behind the other in the upper bar 22 and two center screws 25 and 28 which project through these slots into engagement with threaded holes in the lower bar l2. The heads of the two screws 26 and 23 overlap the edges of the two slots 24 so as to maintain the two bars I2 and M in sliding arrangement. For convenience, the upper ends of the shanks of. the two screws 26 and 28 are smooth and have diameters slightly less than the widths of the two slots 24 in which they stand. The lower end of the rear screw 24 may be expanded or otherwise treated in order to secure it tightly in place. The front screw 28 projects about one-eighth of one inch below the lower bar [2, for purposes hereinbelow explained. The forward end of the upper bar 22 is bent downwardly at right angles and has a body 30 of resilient material such as rubber, firmly secured by any convenient means to the inner side thereof to form a holding or pivot element 32.

A trigger-like element or rod 34 firmly attached to the upper bar 22 extends downwardly and slightly rearwardly through the slot 28 in the lower bar l2. A tension coil-spring 3B interconnects the trigger 34 and the front screw 28 beneath the lower bar l2 into the forward position in the slot 20, thus holding the upper bar 22 in itsforward position. Preferably the forward end of the spring 35 engages a notch 31 in the lower end of the front screw 28 so as to hold the spring and prevent this screw from turning.

The toe i8 is positioned about three inches in front of the upper end of the handle l and the slot is positioned about one and one-half inches in front of the upper handle ID. The upper clamping member 22 is of about fourinches in length from end to end. With the:various parts constructed with the dimensions suggested, a space of about one and one-eighth inches remains between the holding element 32 and the lifting toe I8, thus permitting the .holdingelement and the lifting element to be lowered over a crown cap of standard shape and dimensions, thereby disposing these elements on opposite sides of the cap. Also, the handle. lflpmayi beigripped in the operators hand and his index finger may engage the trigger 34.

To remove a cap 40 from a bottle 42, the holding and lifting elements l8 and 32 are positioned on opposite sides thereof and the trigger34 is drawn rearwardly against the force of the spring 36. This movement causes the resilient portion of the holding element 32 to engage the skirt 44 of the cap 4E: on one side thereof, and the toe l'8 to engage the bottom edge of the cap skirt on the opposite side thereof. With the cap so enaged, the cap is easily removed by holding the bottle with one hand and lifting the rearward end of the opener upwardly with the other hand; During this action the holding element 32 acts as a pivot.

As the bottle cap 40 is removed from a bottle, the sides thereof spread slightly permitting the cap to expand for removal over the lip (not shown) of the bottle. Howeven'the cap isinot permanently bent into a distorted-configuration, but upon removal assumes its' normal shape. As a result, the cap 40 may be used again'to reseal the bottle 42. It is to be noted that when the" cap 40 is removed it may be held by'.the openerbetween the holding element 32 and .the lifting element [8 until the trigger 34 is released.

From the foregoing description of my invention it is clear that I have provided a novel bottle opener which is adapted to remove bottle caps without mutilating them so that they may be reused for sealing the same bottles from which they have been removed. Though my invention has. been described with particular, reference to its, application to the removal of-crowncapsj'of standard configuration and dimensions, it will be obvious that by appropriate .construction it "may be designed to remove larger and smaller caps of the type which are pressed .onto .the mouths of bottles or jars in order to seal them. All such caps are thereforeintended to be. covered by the term crown cap. Also,. althoughonly one particular mechanical arrangement. ofithe invention has been specifically described, it will be obvious that the invention is not limited thereto, but is capable of a variety of mechanical embodiments. Various changes which will now suggest themselves to those skilled in the art may therefore be made in the material, form, details of construction, dimensions, and arrangements of the parts without departing .from the spiritof my invention. Reference is therefore tobe had to having a holding element on one end thereof,

means slidably securing said second bar to said firstbar on thenpper side thereof with said holding element extending downwardly, a spring normally urging said bars apart longitudinally whereby said elements may be placed on oppositeasid'es. ofsaid crown cap, and a trigger-like -element. attached to said second bar extending against the-force of said spring whereby-:said

crown cap is removably engaged by said holding and lifting elements.

2. In-a bottle opener for removing a crown cap from a bottle. a pistol-grip handle; a'first'bar extending forwardly from the upper end of: said handle, said bar having a lifting toe ofisetdownwardly and extending forwardly therefrom; said bar being provided with a longitudinal slot therein intermediate the ends thereof,za-second :bar having a holding element on oneend thereof and being provided with'apair of longitudinally extending :guide" slots at :mutually spaced: points along the length thereof, means slidably securing said second bar to saidfirst bar on theupperside thereof with said holding element extending downwardly, said means comprising first and second guide elements extending. through said-guide slots. into secured'engagement with said first bar, said" first guidev element projecting'through said second bar on .the opposite side of saidfirst mentioned slot remote from said handle,. a triggerlike element attached to said second bar extending downwardly through said first mentioned slot. and a .tension spring having its'ends engaging said'first guide element and said trigger-like'element, said spring normally urging said bars into extended. condition whereby saidielementsmay be placed on opposite sides of said crown cap, said handle and said trigger-like elementbeingmutually spaced to be pressed toward each other-by one hand against the force of said spring wherebysaid crown, cap is removably engaged by said holding and lifting elements.

1 WILLIAM A. LCARTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of recordin the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,728,418 Litchfield Sept. 17, 1929 1,736,519 Bucholtz Nov. 19, 1929 2,093,658 Hildenbrand Sept; 21,. 1937 2,243,305 Adler May, 27;"1941 .2,431,833 Simpson -;;Dec2 2:19.47 

